Straight through auger for harvesters



July 5, 1954 l.. P. MILLARD ET A1. 2,682,948

STRAIGHT THROUGH AUGER F OR HARVESTERS Filed July l5, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l Mmmm' n n x n n E Il Il *x. E j A A 44 m Y y -A Y A j o o o o\ July 6, 1954 L.. P. MILLARD ETAL 2,682,948

STRAIGHT THROUGH AUGER F OR HARVESTERS Filed July 15, 195o s sheets-sheet 2 July 6, 1954 L. P. MILLARD ETAL 2,682,948

STRAIGHT THROUGH AUGER FOR HARTESTERS Filed July l5, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fmo. W y@ Patented July 6, YV1954 .fsrmmnsrrmouen :Ariana ynon "Lee i. Mllitrlliicago, and Kenneth L. Allen, mok island, lll-, lassiznors "to International 4illarwrter 'la v'corner-ati'on Aof New Jersey Appncationmny. 15, issdseriamo. 174,072

'1 This invention relates to #a "new andimproved straight through auger forinarvesters.

Harvesters and particularly "harvester "threshers rare provided with "platforms and' 'conveyors thereon Afor delivering @the 'material l`harwls'tez to a separator Aor the like. Recent 'developments have "proved auger' type conveyors aspen-igv very suitable for platform use. `The' :harvesterplatforms are disposed transversely ofthe "line ofimplement 4draft 'whereas the "threshing separators are asa rule disposed.longitudinallyin:alignment with the implementfdrat. It is"thlrs=evldent"that material harvestedmmust'ibe transierred'ironi the platform conveyor at Aright angles "to f'thcsseparator. Tractor pull .behind combines have "been generally designed with `the longitudinally' *extending separator positioned at one .end Vi:i"1:lie harvesting platform as .such construction was more conducive "to -proper Weightv "distribution With the advent 'of self-propelled conibincs lit been found more convenient'trom thestandpolnt of engineering design-'tolocate theseparator centrally of the transversely positioned platform. Thus the 4platform conveyor had Sto hee'qlpped with means 'for oarryingmaterial frombotli ends of the ,platform toward 'the 'center thereof. rThis has been accomplished'hy 'employing'twov cppo'se augers which would eei 'the harvested "material to .a 7position centrally Vbetween the angers whereuponlit was necessary to deliverA 'the' matcrialrearwardly `to the grain separator. However, 'the problem of transferring or redirecting harvested material from its transverse movement along a. platform rearwardly .at'rright `angles thereto 'at the location ofthe separator 'regardless owherc l that may he vis .existent in many types oi liarvesting mac'liines in' `addition to combinesl and including such machines as' windrow ih'arvesters.

A principal lobject-'of 'this invention-"is therefore to provide means associated with platform anger conveyors |to y'deliver materiarat lright angles to the auger conveyors. Y

An 'important `object of this invention isfthe provision of means'ina straightftlirou'g'hgplati'orm auger and'having auger lconveying iiightarranged ma manner to shift the "direction ef'ilow-p'f ma terialy at right angles Naway from` the `f'straig'lit through auger.

Another important object Vof invention to supply an auger for harvester platforms continuous v'throughout 4the ffiili' "length of lthe `platform and having night thereon to delivermateriel centrally `of the eontinuou's'auger from bothiends' thereof and increasing' the'pitch either-.flight at theY centralportion 'of the -auger to thus reduce 10mm. (ci. ifea-'104) V2 the tendency of the night t'o feed material longitudinally through itself and to-increase the tendency of the flight to throw harvested material laterally'awayfrom the auger atthe central por- `tion by reason of the increased flight pitch.

Another' and still further `important object of thisfinventionisto provide a conveying auger for harvester platforms arranged and constructed to initially 'feed material longitudinally of the auger-and thereafter feed and deliver material at right angles to the auger for delivery rearwardly into a separator or other associated device.

Another and still further important object of this 'invention is to provide anauger conveyor for harvester platforms wherein the lead of the flight on the'auger is substantially doubled at the positionof desired grain discharge.

A still further important object of this invention is the provision of a straight through auger for hat.ve'ster platforms having flight means adjacent one end thereof adapted to feed material rearwardly at that one end.

Otherand further important objects of this invention willbecorneapparent from the disclosures .in the'following specification and accompanying drawings.

'In'the drawings:

"Figurefl -is a top .plan view of the harvester platform of'a harvester thresher incorporating the auger conveyor of this invention.

'Figure 2 is a perspective View substantially constituting a front elevation of the device as shown in Figure l.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on vthe line 3`3 of Figure 2.

Fi`gure'4 'is atop planview of a modied adaptation lof 'the invention.

As shown in the drawings:

The reference numeral l0' indicates generally a harvester `platform for use in conjunction with combines or the like. The platform includes a substantially flat floor portion l l and a substantially vertically disposed hack Wall l2. The floor and hack Wall of the vplatform are joined by end walls "|3 "and 1'4 which have forwardly projecting grain dividing points l5 and I6. The forward edge of thefharvester platform 'l0 is equipped with a gra-inputting sickle I'l.

The platform further includes a centrally 'feeding straight through auger I8. The auger conveyor I8 Iis equipped with a center supporting shaft i9 `which is generally supported Ain the end Walls |'3 and "14 of the platform. The means for rotatably driving `'the auger conveyorl I8 Vhas not been shownoutit should be'understood that such adapted to feed harvested grain upwardly 'andI rearwardly to the threshing and separating mechanisms.

An undershot feeder 22 is Y It is thus obvious that in the operation of this f harvesting machine the sickle will cut standing grain upon forward movement of the implement through a neld of standing grain. As the grain is cut it falls rearwardly onto the auger conveyor I8. Although the auger I8 is continuous throughout its length for all practical purposes it may be designated as two angers 23 and 2.4 which are adapted to feed material to a position centrally of the platform auger to the zone 28. The half auger 23 is provided with a screw flight 25 and similarly the auger half 24 is provided with a screw night 26 of equal but opposite pitch. In order to insure effective movement of harvested grain by the auger conveyors stripper bars 21 and 28 are fastened to the back wall I2 of the platform closely adjacent the outer peripheral edges of the screw night members 25 and 2S. These stripper bars are useful in preventing grain or vine-like plants from winding about the core of the centrally feeding auger I8.

The lead or pitch of the screw nights 25 and 25 is expressly designed so that the entire tendency of movement will be axially of the length of the auger, The inner or center end of the screw night 25 is provided with an extended pitch as shown at 29 which spans half of the center zone 2n of the platform. Similarly the inner central end of the night 26 is provided with an extended pitch as shown at 30. The extended pitch 3,3 of the flight 26 spans the other half of the center zone 2l] of the platform I8 and it will be apparent that the material fed centrally of the auger I8 is thereafter entirely handled and controlled by an extended pitch night through the entire center Zone of the platform lying adjacent the rearwardly extending feeder conveyor 22. The primary function of the increased pitch or lead of the nights and 26 at their adjacent inner ends is to permit the auger conveyor to loose its hold on the harvested grain and simultaneously to act as bats to throw the grain outwardly and more particularly rearwardly into the undershot feeder conveyor 22 of the upwardly and rearwardly extending feeder housing 2I.

The inner ends of the night 25 and 26 are designated by the numerals 3I and 32 respectively and it should be noted that these ends are diametrically opposed on the core of the auger conveyor I8. The extended leads of the night at their inner ends and particularly with the diametrically opposite positioning of the ends of the night provide a substantially paddle feeding effect of the grain from the auger conveyor to the feeder conveyor disposed at right angles thereto.

The regular lead of the night throughout those portions of the auger I8 outside of the scope of the central zone 20 of the platform has been designated by the letter a. The initial premise is that this lead a is such that its normal tendency will be to feed all grain axially of the auger 4 without any tendency to feed grain or other material laterally of the auger. The increased lead of the night has been designated on the drawing as being 2a. This means that the lead of the night throughout the central portion of the platform is double the leadfof the nightthroughout its axially-moving portion.' As grain and other material is fed axially of the auger I8 toward the center of the platform it suddenly has its tendency to continue to move axially considerably reduced by reason of the doubling of the night pitch. Thereafter when the material is in the Vcentral zone of the platform the diametrically vopposed extended lnight leads of the opposed nights 25 and 26 act as bats or paddles to deliver the material from the auger at right angles to the awaiting undershot feeder conveyor 22.

ItY should definitely be understood that although the greatest tendency is to throw material away from the auger at the central portion thereof there is still some tendency to feed longitudinally of theauger and in this respect the auger diners very materially from that type which employs straight paddle members at the center portion of a centrally feedingauger conveyor. It is this slight tendency for continued axial movement of the grain that contributes to an even spreading of grain' delivered to the undershot feeder conveyor 22. In other words, axial feeding of the grain is not entirely lhalted immediately upon the grain reaching the central zone 28 of the platform. But rather the grain is leveled out and fed throughout a substantially even pattern to the undershot feeder conveyor 22 throughout the full width thereof.

As best shown in Figure 4 the auger conveyor of this invention is incorporated in a pull type harvesterthresher wherein the separator 33 is disposed longitudinally to the line of vehicle draft and is located adjacent one end of the front positioned transversely disposed harvesting platform 34. The platform 34 is similar to the platform of Figures 1, 2 and 3 and includes a lnoor 35, a substantially vertical back wall 36, end grain dividers 31 and 38 ,"and a reciprocating cutter bar 3'9 extending across the front thereof. An auger conveyor 40 is positioned over the platform noor 35 and journaled for driving rotation within the end divider walls 31 and 38.

The auger is provided with a central shaft 4|,va large drumv like core 42, and a spiral night 43. The spiral night 43 includes a first section 44 andan oppositely pitched section 45. The section 44 has a'portion thereofv w46 coextensive with the back wall 36 which has a regular pitch of. such a degree. that material fed thereto will be` transmitted axially through the auger toward the location of the separator 33. The pitch of the nightof the portion 46 ,of the auger is again designated by the letter "a. The section 44 of the auger night also includes an enlarged pitch portion 41 which lies in front of substantially half of the separator. The pitch of this portion 41 of the night is shown to be 2a or in other words twice the pitch of the night in portion 46. The increased or doubled pitch reduces the tendency toward axial movement of material in the auger and additionally acts as a bat to move material rearwardly away from the auger and into the separator.

The oppositely pitched section of the spiral night completes the front coverage of the separator 33. Thissection 45 has a 2a pitch as it must have a function similar to that of the portion 4'I of ightalso in front of the separator.

undershot feeder conveyor 43 for receiving material delivered from the auger and carrying it upwardly therebeneath. Similarly a stripper bar 49 is fastened to the back Wall 36 of the platform to prevent winding of the grain or straw about the large diameter auger core 42.

Numerous details of construction may be varied throughout a wide range without departing from the principles disclosed herein and we therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A harvester platform comprising an auger conveyor thereon, said auger conveyor including' a straight through shaft extending across the width of the platform, said auger arranged and constructed to directly receive material fed across the full width of the front of the harvester platform, a feeder conveyor of considerably less width than the harvester platformr adjoining the rear of the harvester platform intermediate the ends thereof, said feeder conveyor disposed at right angles toI said auger conveyor, said straight through shaft having screw flights thereon arranged in a manner to feed harvested material to a position adjacent said feeder conveyor, said screw dights being of opposite and uniform pitch from the outer ends of the platform inwardly to the side edges of the feeder conveyor, said screw flight continuing across the front of the feeder conveyor from opposite directions to the center thereof, and the pitch of that screw flight in front of the feeder conveyor being substantially twice that of the uniform pitch of the remainder of the screw fiight whereby material fed laterally by the auger conveyor will move longitudinally of the auger conveyor until it passes inwardly of the side edges of the feeder conveyor whereafter it is simultaneously fed longitudinally of ther auger conveyor and rearwardly thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,013,582 Preisser Sept. 3, 1935 2,073,059 Guthrie Mar. 9, 1937 2,155,423 Korsmo et al Apr. 25, 1939 2,245,997 Olson June 17, 1941 2,260,302 Driscoll et a1 Oct. 28, 1941 2,437,460 DeFrancisci Mar. 9, 1948 2,476,265 Peterson July 12, 1949 2,478,009 Pool Aug. 2, 1949 2,509,826 Krause May 30, 1950 2,569,039 Berthelot Sept. 25, 1951 

